Henry rothfelder



No. 67,138. PATENTED JULY 28, 1867.

H. ROTHFELDER. WINDING AND SETTING WATCHES.

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IMPROVEMENT IN WINDING AND SETTING WATCHES.

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TO ALL WHC M-IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, HErmY ROTHFELDER, of No. 189 Broadway, of New York, in the county and State of NewYorh, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Winding and Setting Watches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, whiclrwill enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing-forming part of this specification, in'which drawing- Figure 1 representsa front view of my invention, when the same is adjusted-for winding the watch.

Figure 2 is a similar view, when the same is adjusted for setting the watch.

Figure 3 is a transverse section of the ring and handle of the watch-case, the line ma, fig. 1, indicating the plane of section. 7

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to an improvement on that class'of watches which are wound and set by turning a button extending down through the handle of the watch-ease.

My invention'consists in the arrangement ot a lever which carries two wheels, and which is adjhstable by means of a spring and lover-catch, in combination with thewheel secured to the arbor or barrel of the spring, and'with a pinion mounted on the central arbor, which carries the hands, .in such a manner that, by releasing the lever-catch, the gear adjusts itself for setting the watch, and the operation of setting can be accomplished without requiring any exertion'in keeping the wheels in gear, and bypressing back the lever-catch, the gear is adjusted for winding; and when the lever-catch occupies thispositicn, it does not project beyond the periphery of the case, and consequently is not liable to catch in any portion of the pocket or wearing apparel of the person using the watch. The button, which serves to operate the winding and setting gear, is secured to the. barrel of a watch-key, whichis held in position by a pin secured to the ring. This ring is provided with a cam-shaped shoulder, so that by turning said ring down the pin releases the barrel, and the key can be used as an ordinary watch-key.

Areprescnts a watch-case, which-encloses the watch-movement. Under the dial, which is removed in the drawing, is situated the gear for windingand setting the watch. This gear is composed of-a wheel, a, which is mounted on a stud, b, and gears in a pinion, c, and in two wheels d e. The pinion c is mounted on a spindle,f, the outer end of whieh is square to fit the barrel 9 that extends through the handle of the case, and is provided with a button, 7!, so that by turning said button 'the spindle f and the wheel a are revolved. The barrel 9 is retained in the handle of the watch-case bya pin, 2', which is secured in one end of the ringj, and which catches into an annular groove in the barrel, provided the ring-isin an upright position, as shown in fig. 1. But if the ring is turned down to the position shown in fig. 3, the cam-shaped shoulder k on said ring bears against the surface of' the handle, and the pin i is withdrawn from the annular groove in the barrel 9, so that the same can be withdrawn and used as an ordinary watch-key, The wheels 03 and e are-attached. to a lever, B, which has its fulcrum on a pivot, Z, and which is subjected to the action of a. spring, m, which has a tendency to press the same out'in the direction of the arrow marked thereon in fig. 1, and the loose end of said lever is prevented from rising up or getting out of position by a. plate, 12-, secured to the top plate of the wateh-movement. When the lever B is allowed to follow the action of the spring m, it assumes the position shown in fig. 2, and in this case the wheel e is thrown in gear with the pinion 0 mounted on thecentral arbor p of the watch-movement, which also carricsthe hands. At the same time the wheel (I is brought in such a position that it clears the wheel g, which connects with the main-spring in such a manner that by turning it in the proper direction said spring is wound up. But when the lever is pressed back to the position which it occupies in fig, 1, the wheel cl is thrown in gear with the spring-wheel q, and the wheel e is thrown out of gear with the pinio'n 0 on the central arbor. In order to retainthe lever B in this latter position, a lever-catch, r, is applied, which, when pressed back, drops over the stud s, and when the said lever-catch occupies this position, (as shown in fig. 1,) its outer end is situated within the circumference of the watch-case, so that it is not liable to catch in the pocket or other parts of the wearing apparel of the person wearing the watch, and at the same time it retains the lever B .and the winding-gear in such a position that the watch can be wound up simply by turning the button It. I

will be noticed thatwhen the lever B occupies this position, the wheel e is not in gear with the hand arhoi', end consequently the watch can be wound without disturbing the hands,

If it is desired to set the watch, the lever-catch is forced back so thetitreleoses the stud a, and the lever B is permitted to i'ollow the uction of the spring m, and to ossuine the position shown in fig. 2; In this position the wheel d is thrown out of gear with the mein-spring'wheel q, end by turning the button h the watch can be set. It vqili'thus be seen that by the combineti action of the iever-cetchend the spring, the geer'is always held in the required position either for winding or setting the entch,'e.nd either of these operationecen be performed without the necessity of keeping the wheels in gear by a continuous pressure with the fingers.

What I claim as new; and desire to seoure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The lever B, lever-catch 7-, stud a, and spring m, in combination with the wheels d, e, a, and q, end with the button It, all constructed andopei'ating substantially as enfi for the purpose set forth.

' 2. The cam-shaped shoulder I: on the ring j, in combination with the pin t and barrel g,-constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose described.

' HENRY BOEHFELDER.

Witnesses W. HAurs, G, Bane. 

